Positive Health Online

Abstract

GAGO-DOMINGUEZ and co-workers, USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, 141 Eastlake Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90089-9181, USA, mgago@usc.edu, have found opposing effects of dietary n-3 and n-6 fatty acids on breast cancer.

Background

The authors investigated the effects of individual fatty acids on breast cancer in a prospective study of 35,298 Singapore Chinese women aged 45-74 (The Singapore Chinese Health Study).

Methodology

At recruitment each subject completed a food frequency questionnaire. The women were followed up between 2 and 7 years.

Results

During the follow-up time, 314 cases of breast cancer were found in the study population. It was found that consumption of saturated, monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fat overall was unrelated to breast cancer risk. High levels of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids from fish or shellfish were significantly associated with a risk reduced by about 25%. Overall, the consumption of n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids had no influence on breast cancer risk; however among the lowest quartile of n-3 fatty acid intake, a higher consumption of n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids was correlated with a significantly increased risk of breast cancer.

Conclusion

These are the first prospective findings linking the intake of marine n-3 fatty acids with protection against breast cancer.

References

Gago-Dominguez M, Yuan JM, Sun CL, Lee HP, Yu MC. Opposing effects of dietary n-3 and n-6 fatty acids on mammary carcinogenesis: The Singapore Chinese Health Study. British Journal of Cancer 89 (9): 1686-1692, Nov 2003.